Colossi of Memnon
The two imposing statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that comprise the Colossi of Memnon stand just across the Nile River from the Egyptian city of Luxor. Sixty feet tall, the well-preserved Colossi are made of quartzite sandstone and weigh well over 600 tons apiece. The Pharaoh's fully reclined shape is still readily visible, but much of the face and upper half of the torso have been destroyed by over 3,000 years of exposure to the elements.
Amarna
The site of ancient Egypt's first capital city, Akhetaten, Amarna was abandoned shortly after construction sometime in the 14th century B.C. Nearly 40 miles south of the modern city of Al-Minya, Amarna is a remote wonder. The area has a number of settlements, temples and the Tombs of the Nobles, a burial site for the upper crust of Egyptian society.
Karnak
An outstandingly well-preserved temple complex, Karnak was the temple district of ancient Thebes. Karnak can now be found on the banks of the Nile, near the city of Luxor. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world, with four immense districts, only one of which is currently open to the public. The Hypostyle Hall is one of the centerpiece attractions, with over a hundred columns marking the boundaries of a 50,000 square foot room.
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
This extraordinary temple to the sun god Amon-Ra is nestled on the underside of a cliff wall near the Valley of the Kings. Designed by the royal architect of the 18th dynasty, Senenmut, the Mortuary Temple includes relief sculptures detailing the life cycle of Hatshepsut, a powerful female Pharaoh of Egypt. It is considered to mark a turning point in the architectural style of Egypt toward more Classical Greek and Roman sources.
